Steve Harwell, the former lead singer of the band Smash Mouth, died Monday after struggling with medical problems for several years. after to the band’s Instagram account. He was 56.
Band manager Robert Hayes told Rolling Stone reported that Harwell died at his home in Boise, Idaho, surrounded by his family and friends.
Hayes said earlier this week that Harwell has been placed in a hospice and has only a short time to live.
“Steve’s iconic voice is one of the most recognizable voices of his generation,” Hayes said Sunday. “Steve loved the fans and loved performing.”
The band’s Instagram account posted a tribute on Monday. “Steve has lived a 100% full throttle life. “It burns brightly throughout the universe before it burns out,” it said.
During his long career with the band, Smash Mouth sold more than 10 million albums and had two #1 hit singles, “Walkin’ on the Sun” and “All Star”. The latter was certified triple platinum in the US and became an international hit, earning the band a Grammy nomination and pop culture history.
“I will not blow my own horn, but no one else could have sung this song” Harwell told Rolling Stone of “All Star” in 2019. “It never would have been what it is now. I could have introduced this song to a million bands and they would have tried and it would never have been what it is.”
“‘All Star’ should be ours,” he added. “And that’s why it was so big, and it still is. It was supposed to be Smash Mouth, and that’s the great thing about it.”
The song has maintained its place in the cultural zeitgeist for decades after appearing in the film Shrek.
Annamaria DiSanto via Getty Images
“We had no idea how big ‘Shrek’ would be. We had no idea,” Harwell told Rolling Stone. “The song was already a number one single and then ‘Shrek’ came out and we’ve sold millions of records just from that. The song was reborn.”
Harwell retired from Smash Mouth two years ago after an erratic performance in New York, saying his health issues had become too serious for him to continue at the time.
“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve dreamed of being a rock star who performs to capacity crowds, and I’ve been extremely fortunate to make that dream a reality,” he said. “My bandmates have been honored to perform with you all these years and I can’t think of anyone I would rather have embarked on this wild journey with.”
Smash Mouth continued to tour with vocalist Zach Goode.
“Steve’s iconic voice is one of the most recognizable voices of his generation,” said the band’s manager. “His legacy will live on through music.”
